【Orchid-related terms】Orchid Anatomy and Terminology

Xuan He
Sep 17
1 min read

In a previous blog, we introduced orchid-related terminology such as flower color, shape, and pattern. This time, we will introduce the names of different parts of orchids. We hope you will read on, as we believe this will be useful for both cultivating orchids and understanding their structure.

bulb

This term refers to the stem part. It is officially called a pseudobulb, or pseudocorm, and its shape varies depending on the type of orchid.

lead bulb

The newest (youngest) bulb at the front of a plant.

back bulb

Old bulbs that previously developed other than lead bulbs.

column

A column is a combination of stamens and pistils. It is one of the characteristics of orchids.

lip (L)

Lip petal. In the case of orchids, the lip, which is one of the petals, is particularly developed and has a different shape from the petal.

petal (P)

Petals.

sepal (S)

Sepals.

dosal sepal (DS, US)

Also called upper sepal, it refers to the dorsal sepal or upper sepal. In the case of orchids, there are basically three sepals, so it is used to refer only to the upper sepal.

lower sepal (LS, VS)

Lateral sepals, also called ventral sepals, refer to the lower or lateral sepals.